Arthur Miller ‘s presentation Essay

By focusing on three or four scenes, examine Arthur Miller ‘s presentation of John Proctor’s moral journey. A crucible is defined in the dictionary as ‘a severe test or trial’. Throughout this play, John Proctor’s morals and beliefs are challenged to a great extent as we watch his character develop and admire his strength to do what is right whatever the consequences. A moral journey is the development of someone’s morals and beliefs as they are tested by certain situations and react to them in different ways. I wouldn’t say it was a mapped out journey, more one that is likely to change without warning. Salem was a very religious and close-knit community. The strict creed meant that its inhabitants lived very monotonous lives and continuously feared doing wrong by God. Many people found they could not live with the pressures forced upon them by the church as religion was preached so vigorously and people were discouraged from forming their own opinion on life. This caused the community to become very repressed. The way everyone reacted to the accusations of witchcraft stem from this. People suddenly became very paranoid of everybody else’s actions and also became suspicious that they may be a witch. They also used the right to call somebody a witch as vengeance. The fact that Proctor was willing to go against the church and the rest of the community to follow his views of descent conduct makes him stand out. I will be studying several extracts of the play to illustrate Proctor’s moral journey. John Proctor is often seen as the main character in the play and the first point where we are given any information about him is in the early stages of Act 1. Here, Miller directly intervenes and provides us with a lengthy passage on John Proctor giving us information on his background and character. This is essential, as otherwise, we have no knowledge of his values before he enters the stage. Miller’s script: â€Å"But as we shall see, the steady manner he displays does not spring from an untroubled soul. He is a sinner, a sinner not only against the moral fashion of the time, but against his own vision of descent conduct. † This quote also backs up the idea that John does not need to be punished for sins he has committed, as he is his own worst critic. At first Miller portrays him in a harsh light. When he enters in the first act, he reprimands his servant for not being at home helping Elizabeth and orders her to go immediately. The stage directions here allow us to see the effect of John on others. He obviously has a sense of authority as Miller describes Mary Warren’s reaction when he enters the room as follows: ‘She can barely speak for embarrassment and fear’ After the departure of Mary, John is then left alone with Abigail and Miller presents us with a scene full of hurt, desire and tension. Abigail is a very useful character when analysing John’s morals. She is very manipulative and tests his will power to reject her. John, at first, is not aware of Abigail’s determination to win his love. He says impulsively some things that Abigail interprets in her own, yet wrong, way. She then seems very confident about what she is saying and feels she is being lead on. Proctor: â€Å"Ah, you’re wicked yet, aren’t y’! (A thrill of expectant laughter escapes her, and she dares come closer, feverishly looking in his eyes)† The stage directions at this point are very important, as they are essential in the understanding of how Abigail is feeling. After this move of Abigail’s, John realises that she is serious and is still holding hope for him. He decides to put this right by making it quite clear to her that he is not willing to continue their relationship. Proctor: â€Å"Abby I may think of you softly from time to time but I will cut off my hand before I reach for you again. † This shows that Proctor has learnt from his mistakes and although he is tempted, he is not willing to commit the same sin again. This is quite extreme for him to state and shows that he is serious about what he is saying. It is also evident from the stage directions that John is ‘(angered-at himself as well). ‘ This shows that he has admitted to himself that he was wrong and now he is feeling guilty and angry with himself for all the trouble he has caused in his relationship with Elizabeth. The stage directions are very powerful in this extract as they show the characters emotions and they explain the situation well. This extract shows a very important part of John Proctor’s moral journey as he manages to resist Abigail’s advances. It must have taken a lot for him to do this, as it would be hard both mentally and physically for him. This shows how his character is starting to develop as he has learnt from previous experiences and is beginning to face and correct his sins rather than just ignoring them. The next extract I will be examining is in the early parts of Act two. This is set eight days on from the last scene and there is a very different atmosphere. Instead of passion and heat, this scene is awkward and tense. It shows how Proctor is not being honest with his wife, Elizabeth, and instead there is a lot of pretence. This is an important time in Proctors moral journey as it shows us how he is coping with his relationship with Elizabeth. It is evident that Proctor is still in denial and is not facing up to his actions. He doesn’t realise that the lies and secrets he is keeping will affect so badly what happen in future events. At the beginning of this Act, Miller sets the scene effectively using stage directions. He describes the room as ‘low, dark, and rather long living-room of the time’. This immediately changes our mood and calms us down in anticipation of a more sombre and serious scene. In this scene dialogue, as well as stage directions, play a very important part in portraying the characters feelings. The stage directions especially help us to interpret how certain lines should be said (as this is a play) and how characters should act. Proctor is not truthful to Elizabeth in this scene. He firstly lies about his interview with Abigail as he feels she won’t understand. He tells her that he has been working on the farm in hope that he will sympathise with him. This is part of his moral journey as it shows he is still in denial and feels that time will sort his problems out. He is prolonging the consequences of his actions that he knows one day he’ll have to face.

Profile of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding

Profile of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding Born April 24, 1882, at Moffat, Scotland, Hugh Dowding was the son of a schoolmaster. Attending St. Ninians Preparatory School as a boy, he continued his education at Winchester College at age 15. After two years of further schooling, Dowding elected to pursue a military career and began classes at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in September 1899. Graduating the following year, he was commissioned as a subaltern and posted to the Royal Garrison Artillery. Sent to Gibraltar, he subsequently saw service in Ceylon and Hong Kong. In 1904, Dowding was assigned to the No. 7 Mountain Artillery Battery in India. Learning to Fly Returning to Britain, he was accepted for the Royal Staff College and began classes in January 1912. In his spare time, he quickly became fascinated by flying and aircraft. Visiting the Aero Club at Brooklands, he was able to convince them to give him flying lessons on credit. A quick learner, he soon received his flying certificate. With this in hand, he applied to the Royal Flying Corps to become a pilot. The request was approved and he joined the RFC in December 1913. With the outbreak of ​World War I in August 1914, Dowding saw service with Nos. 6 and 9 Squadrons. Dowding in World War I Seeing service at the front, Dowding showed a deep interest in wireless telegraphy which led him to return to Britain in April 1915 to form the Wireless Experimental Establishment at Brooklands. That summer, he was given command of No. 16 Squadron and returned to the fighting until posted to the 7th Wing at Farnborough in early 1916. In July, he was assigned to lead 9th (Headquarters) Wing in France. Taking part in the Battle of the Somme, Dowding clashed with the commander of the RFC, Major General Hugh Trenchard, over the need to rest pilots at the front. This dispute soured their relationship and saw Dowding reassigned to the Southern Training Brigade. Though promoted to brigadier general in 1917, his conflict with Trenchard ensured that he did not return to France. Instead, Dowding moved through various administrative posts for the remainder of the war. In 1918, he moved to the newly created Royal Air Force and in the years after the war led No. 16 and No. 1 Groups. Moving into staff assignments, he was sent to the Middle East in 1924 as the chief staff officer for the RAF Iraq Command. Promoted to air vice marshal in 1929, he joined the Air Council a year later. Building the Defenses On the Air Council, Dowding served as Air Member for Supply and Research and later Air Member for Research and Development (1935). In these positions, he proved instrumental in modernizing Britains aerial defenses. Encouraging the design of advanced fighter aircraft, he also supported the development of new Radio Direction Finding equipment. His efforts ultimately led to the design and production of the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. Having been promoted to air marshal in 1933, Dowding was selected to lead the newly formed Fighter Command in 1936. Though overlooked for the position of Chief of the Air Staff in 1937, Dowding worked tirelessly to improve his command. Promoted to air chief marshal in 1937, Dowding developed the Dowding System which integrated several air defense components into one apparatus. This saw the uniting of radar, ground observers, raid plotting, and radio control of aircraft. These disparate components were tied together through a protected telephone network that was administered through his headquarters at RAF Bentley Priory. In addition, to better control his aircraft, he divided the command into four groups to cover all of Britain. These consisted of Air Vice Marshal Sir Quintin Brands 10 Group (Wales and the West Country), Air Vice Marshal Keith Parks 11 Group (Southeastern England), Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallorys 12 Group (Midland East Anglia), and Air Vice Marshal Richard Sauls 13 Group (Northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland). Though scheduled to retire in June 1939, Dowding was asked to remain in his post until March 1940 due to the deteriorating international situation. His retirement was subsequently postponed until July and then October. As a result, Dowding remained at Fighter Command as World War II began. The Battle of Britain With the outbreak of World War II, Dowding worked with Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Newall to ensure that Britains defenses were not weakened in order to support campaigns on the Continent. Stunned by RAF fighter losses during the Battle of France, Dowding warned the War Cabinet of the dire consequences should it continue. With defeat on the Continent, Dowding worked closely with Park to ensure that air superiority was maintained during the Dunkirk Evacuation. As the German invasion loomed, Dowding, known as Stuffy to his men, was viewed as a steady but distant leader. As the Battle of Britain began in the summer of 1940, Dowding worked to ensure adequate aircraft and resources were available to his men. The brunt of the fighting was carried by Parks 11 Group and by Leigh-Mallorys 12 Group. Though badly stretched during the course of the fighting, Dowdings integrated system proved effective and at no point did he commit more than fifty percent of his aircraft to the battle zone. During the course of the fighting, a debate emerged between Park and Leigh-Mallory regarding tactics. While Park favored intercepting raids with individual squadrons and subjecting them to continued attack, Leigh-Mallory advocated for massed attacks by Big Wings consisting of at least three squadrons. The thought behind the Big Wing was that a larger number of fighters would increase enemy losses while minimizing RAF casualties. Opponents pointed out that it took longer for Big Wings to form and increased the danger of fighters being caught on the ground refueling. Dowding proved unable to resolve the differences between his commanders, as he preferred Parks methods while the Air Ministry favored the Big Wing approach. Dowding was also criticized during the battle by Vice Marshal William Sholto Douglas, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, and Leigh-Mallory for being too cautious. Both men felt that Fighter Command should be intercepting raids before they reached Britain. Dowding dismissed this approach as he believed it would increase losses in aircrew. By fighting over Britain, downed RAF pilots could be quickly returned to their squadrons rather than lost at sea. Though Dowdings approach and tactics proved correct for achieving victory, he was increasingly seen as uncooperative and difficult by his superiors. With the replacement of Newell with Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal, and with an aged Trenchard lobbying behind the scenes, Dowding was removed from Fighter Command in November 1940, shortly after winning the battle. Later Career Awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath for his role in the battle, Dowding was effectively sidelined for the rest of his career due to his outspoken and forthright manner. After conducting an aircraft purchasing mission to the United States, he returned to Britain and conducted an economic study on RAF manpower before retiring in July 1942. In 1943, he was created First Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory for his service to the nation. In his later years, he became actively engaged in spiritualism and increasingly bitter regarding his treatment by the RAF. Largely living away from the service, he did serve as the president of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association. Dowding died at Tunbridge Wells on February 15, 1970, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Sources Royal Air Force Museum: Hugh DowdingWorld War II Database: Hugh DowdingRAFWeb: Hugh Dowding

Surprising Benefits of Volunteering

Surprising Benefits of Volunteering With a busy student life, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, if you want to boost your educational experience and learn new skills, volunteering can be a rewarding option. Sometimes even more helpful than networking events or internship, it offers plenty of surprising benefits to students. Charity work will help you reduce stress, find friends and even advance your career. Learn more about the benefits of helping others and get started! #1: Learn or Develop a New Skill It is never too late to learn something new and volunteering is a great way to develop a unique skill or discover something you are good at. Unlike internships, that usually involve repetitive tasks, you can adjust your position to meet your personal goals. No matter what type of volunteering work you do, you may be certain to gain the following skills: teamwork self-motivation planning problem-solving time management goal-setting persuasion critical thinking By volunteering, you will invest time into really useful and engaging experience. #2: Stay Physically and Mentally Healthy Volunteering is good both for your mind and body. It has a profound effect on your psychological well-being, reduces stress and anxiety, combats depression and makes you happy. You will feel yourself better in regular contact with others and experience a natural sense of accomplishment. The better you feel about yourself, a more positive view youll have on your life and future goals. Moreover, as a volunteer, youll be more physically active and fit, strengthen your bones and muscles and as a result, reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart attack and diabetes. #3: Make New Friends Volunteering provides a great opportunity to develop your social skills as you are regularly meeting with people who have the similar interests. Even if you are shy and find it difficult to make new contacts, youll have a chance to develop and practice your relationship skills. Youll meet a lot of new people, especially if you are new to the area, and will have an opportunity to strengthen your support network and make long term friends. You may be surprised at how genuine these friends are. #4: Save Money Volunteering can even help you save money. Many organizations need volunteers to help them host different events, including various performances, concerts and festivals. Devote your time and you can receive admission to events that interest you without buying the expensive tickets. Even better, you wont need to stand in the long queues and worry about getting the tickets in time! Just make sure to register in advance because most music events and theater plays usually have a long waiting list of volunteers wishing to participate. #5: Find Love That might be really surprising but volunteering can help you find love. Yes, its true. Studies show that people prefer to go on a date with another volunteer than with someone theyve met through a friend. Volunteering activities will take a lot of your time, so there are more chances to meet that special someone. Its no secret that people usually find romance at workplace, so why wouldnt you? #6: Advance Your Career Volunteering will help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in this field. It is also an amazing way to try yourself in a new position without making a long-term commitment. You may volunteer in an organization youd like to work after graduation and gain important experience and knowledge youll need later. Most volunteering options offer extensive training, so youll have a chance to develop the skills essential for your future career and raise awareness for self-improvement and professional growth. #7: Live Longer Do you want to live longer? Studies show that volunteers have better overall health and lower mortality rate. They find it easier to manage everyday tasks and have outstanding thinking skills even when they become older. Thats why if you want to live a happy and long life, consider taking volunteer work in addition to your vitamins! #8: Understand Yourself Better Trying yourself as a volunteer is useful for developing your personality. This experience will help you to understand whether you are a people person, whether you like working with other people, whether you would like to dedicate your life to helping others, and other important things about yourself. Also, you’ll find out what skills you already have and would like to develop. #9: Give Up Bad Habits This can be surprising but volunteering help to struggle with bad habits. Thus, according to Make A Difference Day Survey, ICM Research 2004, 30% of smokers aged 18-24 claimed that they begin to smoke less due to volunteering and 22% of the same age group said that they reduced the amount of alcohol they take. How is that possible? The answer is quite simple: each addiction is developed because a person in some period of his or her life starts feeling incomplete. Volunteering helps people to fulfill their lives with meaning so that they don’t feel incomplete like they used to. Volunteering is an enjoyable and simple way to test your passions and interests. It can provide you with refreshed creativity and inspiration that can greatly help in your personal and professional life.

Globalization Has Helped the World in Technology Research Paper

Globalization Has Helped the World in Technology - Research Paper Example hat globalization has helped the field of technology is the fact that it allows an intensification of interconnections between people from different areas, who are, due to advancements in information technology (IT), able to share ideas to an unprecedented degree (Dhruvaraja and Vickers 26). Technology development is something of a self-reinforcing cycle – new technologies make it easier to breed new technologies, and so when something new is developed it makes it much easier to develop something even newer and more interesting. We see this process occur in many places, but cell phone design is a good example: the iphone introduced a new kind of interface based on a touch screen and small icons in a home screen, and now almost every cell phone has that feature. But beyond that, new cell phones have also moved forward and introduced new elements on top of that, which Apple has then responded to by building off of those. This reinforcing loop is only able to occur to the degree that everyone who is developing new technology is able to know the ideas of other people who have developed technology before them. If someone does not know something has been developed, they may spend a great deal of time developing a very similar thing themselves – this is called reinventing the wheel, and previously in human history it happened very often. Globalization, however, ensures that reinventing the wheel will happen very rarely. This is because the globalization, and the forces that go along with it, connect people from disparate parts of the globe more closely than they have ever been before, so now anyone anywhere will be able to access the ideas of anyone else. Not every aspect of globalization has helped the advancement of technology – the freedom of people to move goods around more easily, for instance, has little impact on technological development. It is mostly the internet, and the new developments that came along with it, that have allowed the community of

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b Assignment

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b - Assignment Example In this project we are going to target all the international students that have a Bachelor Degree in accounting and 3 years of working experience in accounting. The main functional group of this project is the new students having Bachelor Degree. The mission of this project is to provide the international students the facility of higher education. We will act on behalf of the students while dealing with the University and the Australian high commission in getting the visa. In this way the student have to do less effort and their overall process of admission will be easier. The vision of this project is to make sure student visa requirements are met for pursuing the MBA program. Here we will also make sure that the students also have the facilities of the finances for the course fees along with the accommodation. In this project we have to make sure that the overall project can be handled and managed on the time. In this way we will be able to complete the project before the ending date of the admission in the Universities of the Australia. We have to concentrate on the legal areas of the visa processing and financial strength of the students. The main initiative of our agency is to enhance the overall market value and get a better competitive edge in the international immigration. We have established a vision to support and provide better and on time facilities for the Business Visa, Working Visa, Skilled Migration Visa, etc. The aim of our agency is to provide students the better platform for online admission for their higher studies. The agency has settled a business scope and it is established that now it will target international students by providing assistance in applying for a student visa. In this project we have established a project that will facilitate in organizing applications of student visas for a group of international students. Now I will talk about the

Teaching Science During the Early Childhood Years Essay

Teaching Science During the Early Childhood Years - Essay Example These professionals include all the individuals who directly serve children right from their through the age of 8 (Who are Early Childhood Professionals). Thus such schools and centers help in the initial development of mental, physical and social growth of the child along with education. The importance of educators in these centers is evident from the fact that children in early childhood education programs require teachers who are not only academically qualified but also have a sound knowledge in child development. Instead a high-quality support system should be offered to teachers in addition to a competent pay package and opportunities for professional development (Hyson, Tomlinson and Carol). In order to gain high-quality knowledge on early childhood education it is necessary to enroll in programs that are based on the National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards (NAEYC) which help prepare graduates competently for this profession as it not only includes ch ildhood education but also concentrates on learning the overall development of the child, to effectively communicate with the families, using assessments appropriately and altogether helps in becoming a through professional in this field.

Child Friendly School Policies

Child Friendly School Policies The purpose of this essay is to explore what Child Friendly School policies could learn from Comparative and International Research. Reference to CFSs in Kenya will be made with emphasis on the background of CFSs, current practices and emerging critics, success stories, problems and pitfalls and what CIR can do to subjugate some of these challenges. I will start by examining the rationale for exploring CFSs, based on literature and my professional experience. Following this background will be literature surrounding the concepts of CIR and CFSs in relation to global agendas, exploring how CFSs came into existence and the driving forces behind it. I then go on to focus on a case study of CFS in Kenya, discussing the role of CIR in the Kenyas CFS, arguing that CIR is used as a political tool in creating educational policy, rather than a research method or an intellectual inquiry. I will further critically analyze challenges facing CFSs and how knowledge on CIR can contribute more effect ively to successful implementation of CFS policies. A conclusion based on the literature and authors experience will then be drawn. Throughout the essay, I build a case in favour of CIR arguing that CIR stimulates critical reflections about our educational systems by investigating commonalities and differences across national borders. Background and Rationale Comparative and international education is one of the main fields of education with many benefits, judged by the volume of studies reported in the literature. Central to this is that many countries around the world have formulated some of their educational policies based on knowledge and research from CIR. With the current wave of globalization, researchers and experts, especially in the field of education, are always trying to find ways of streamlining their educational policies with the global trends. According to Giddens (1990:64), globalization is the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distance localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. Global forces therefore have an impact on shaping local practices at grass root levels. In order to do this tactically and critically, comparative and internal research remains cutting edge in informing people about the realities, the challenges and the possible effects of uncritical transfer of ideas. One of the key developments in education has been the prioritisation of basic education as opposed to adult education or higher education. In Africa, this would be probably because, as Oketch (2004) points out, basic education yields higher rates of returns compared to higher education. This has subsequently influenced government and non-governmental organizations to focus more on improving the quality of basic education. Child-friendly schools (CFSs) in Kenya is an example of a initiative sponsored by UNICEF with the aim of not just providing children right to education but the right to the right education. In other words, CFSs are more concerned with the quality of basic education in addition to its access. The emergence of CFSs in Kenya was catapulted by the forces of agendas 1 and 2 of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which emphasizes on the provision of basic education. One of the six Education For All (EFA) goals agreed by the World Education Forum (2002) concerns education q uality. The term quality in education is dynamic because of the social, political and economic context at which it is used. Milligan (2011:276) adds that quality has, thus, been placed as an integral cog in the educational development machine although how educational quality is defined is a matter of great contention. Because of differences in contexts, it is imperative that knowledge of comparative and international research be used in designing policies and pedagogy in CFSs that fit that particular context. Furthermore, with the fear that some countries may lag behind as others move forward, countries from sub-Sahara Africa are now engaging in various practices in order to achieve these educational goals, a race against the 2015 set deadline for attainment of EFA goals. As the clock ticks towards the year 2015, priority goals in education may change for post-2015 and the worry is further elevated. One of the efforts the government of Kenya is doing to improve the quality of education is by integrating CFS model into the basic education system. Two major questions arise here: First, how is CFS realistic considering myriad challenges facing the FPE policy in Kenya? Secondly, if integrating CFS model into basic education will help in improving the quality of education, what lessons can CFS policies learn from CIR? It is against this background that the purpose of this essay hinges. Literature Review In this section, I will look at the concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) based on the literature and merge them with the global forces that influenced the emergence of CFS with an attempt to unveil the voices behind the introduction of CFS in Kenya. In addition, I will use an example of PRISM experience in Kenya to reinforce the understanding of the role of international bodies in promoting quality through well strategized and executed projects, arguing that lessons from PRISM experience can be used as insights to successful implementation of CFS policies. Concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) CIR is a fusion of two broad areas of research: Comparative Research and International Research. To understand its full meaning, it is important we define the two areas of research separately. In his definition of comparative research, Mills et al (2006:621) argue that: Comparative research is a broad term that includes both quantitative and qualitative comparison of social entities. Social entities may be based on many lines, such as geographical or political ones in the form of cross-national or regional comparisons. A similar perception was echoed by Noah and Eckstein (1969:127), who viewed comparative education as an intersection of the social sciences, education and cross-national study [which] attempts to use cross-national data to test propositions about the relationships between education and society and between teaching practices and learning outcomes. In light of this definition, comparative research in the context of education can be defined as a study of two or more entities or events (Crossley Watson, 2003) with the underlying goal of searching for similarity and variance. Cross-national or regional comparisons may include comparing educational policies, pedagogy, educational leadership and so on. According to Mills et al (2006: 621), the search for variance places more emphasis on context and difference in order to understand specificities. International education, on the other hand, can be defined as the application of descriptions, analyses and insights learned in one or more nations to the problems of developing educational systems and institutions in other countries (Wilson 2000a: 116). Therefore, international research is concerned with research carried out across two or more countries, often with the purpose of comparing responses between them. This might be done in order to devise strategies that work well across both or all these cultures or to suggest local adjustments to a global strategy There is a close relationship between comparative and international education. Epstein (1994: 918) points out, that international educators use findings derived from comparative education to understand better the processes they examine, and thus, to enhance their ability to make policy. We can therefore draw from the above two definitions that CIR in education as a method of comparing both qualitative and quantitative entities in education across different countries, societies or cultures with the aim of identifying similarities and differences. It is however important to note that not all international research is comparative, and not all comparative research is international or cross-national. According to UNICEF (2007), a child-friendly school is both a child seeking school and a child-centred school: It is child seeking because it actively identifying excluded children to get them enrolled in school. It is a child-centred school because it acts in the best interests of the child leading to the realization of the childs full potential, is concerned about the whole child: her health, nutritional status, and well-being and concerned about what happens to children before they enter school and after they leave school. A CFS system recognizes and respects childrens right and responsibilities; it provides the enabling environment to realize childrens right not only in schools, but also in childrens home and their communities. These include children from conflict zones, street children and children with disabilities. According to UNICEF Global Education Strategy (2007) the Child-Friendly Schools model (see fig 1) is based on simple, rights-based concepts as described in Table 1. Concept of CFS Description Rights Based School CFS proactively seeks out-of-school children and encourages them to enrol, irrespective of gender, race, ability, social status, etc. Gender Sensitive School CFS promotes equality and equity in enrolment and achievement among girls and boys. Safe and Protective School CFS ensures that all children can learn in a safe and inclusive environment. Community Engaged School CFS encourages partnership among schools, communities, parents and children in all aspects of the education process. Academically Effective School CFS provides children with relevant knowledge and skills for surviving and thriving in life. Health Promoting School CFS promotes the physical and emotional health of children by meeting key nutritional and health care needs within schools. Table 1: Description of a CFS Fig 1: Model of the Child-Friendly School Source: UNICEF, Global Education Strategy (2007:1) The CFS model provides a framework for planning (and monitoring the effectiveness of) strategies for increasing access to quality basic education with the specific focus on the development of strategies to include those children hitherto excluded from education (UNICEF, Global Education Strategy, 2007). It is important to note that CFS model is not a one-size-fits-all model. The model may differ from country to country depending on the context. International and Local Pressures and their influences to formation of CFS in Kenya Education in sub-Sahara Africa, and indeed in Kenya, is crafted from both influences by global trends in education and the legacies of colonialism. Chisholm and Leyenderker (2008) observe that: Since 1990, the goals and purpose of education in sub-Sahara Africa has been reshaped by four interconnected developments: globalisation, the changed focus of international aid agencies towards development assistance, the adaptation of sub-Sahara African countries to the new world order with its new political emphases, and the spilling over of new pedagogical ideas from the USA and Europe into sub-Sahara Africa. (p 198) Kenya is a signatory to a number of conventions in education, including the Convention to the Rights of the Child (1989), the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990), the Dakar accord and the Millenium Development Goals (2000). In achievement of education development goals, Kenya is bound to, among other things, quality education by MDGs. The Jomtien call for access for access, equity, quality and democracy in education appeared to promise both social and economic development (Chisholm and Leyenderker, 2008). Social and economic development, and continues to be believed, requires educational change and educational change is necessary for social and economic development (ibid:). Educational change, in turn, is perceived to depend on, amongst other things, the input from relevant development assistance projects. These projects, in the arena of education, are typically formulated with reference to internationally negotiated development agendas (like the MDGs) and priority (Crossley Watson, 2003). An example of these projects in Kenya is CFSs which are supported by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). The Education Section of UNICEFs Programme Division introduced the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) framework for schools that serve the whole child in 1999 (Chabbott, 2004). Rationale for introducing CFS framework in Kenya The increased reliance of foreign aid to support education reform in Kenya has been accompanied by a transition, from understanding education as a human right and the general good to viewing it primarily in terms of its contribution to national growth and well-being through the development of the knowledge and skills societies are deemed to need (Arnove Torres 2007:359). Occasional voices continue insisting that education is liberating, that learning is inherently developmental (ibid: 359). With the global concern that Sub-sahara Africa countries may not achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015 unless the progress is accelerated (Carceles et al., 2001; Bennel, 2002), Kenya responded by introducing Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003 with both local and global pressure. The rationale behind introducing FPE was (apart from the pressure from global and international agendas) to alleviate poverty attributed to lack of literacy skills. The success story behind implementation of FPE policy is increased enrolment at primary school level by approximately 50% from 5.9 million in 2003 to 9.38 million pupils according to the Kenya Economic Survey 2011. However, there are myriad challenges facing the implementation of FPE policy which include high teacher-pupil ratio, inadequate infrastructure, overcrowded classroom, inadequate textbooks and many schools lacking sanitation facilities. All of these challenges militate against the provision of quality teaching. There is no magic wand for fixing this problem of quality in education. In response to this CFS were introduced in Kenya. According to UNICEF Child-friendly Schools Manual (2006:1): The challenge in education is not simply to get children into school, but also to improve the overall quality of schooling and address threats to participation. If both quality and access are tackled, children who are enrolled in primary school are likely to continue, complete the full cycle, and achieve expected learning outcomes and successfully transition to secondary school. The CFS framework (see appendix 3) aims at promoting child-seeking, child-centred, gender-sensitive, inclusive, community-involved, protective and healthy approaches to schooling and out-of-school education with a general goal of improving the quality of learning. Since CFSs are concerned with the quality of learning, it is important we look at the meaning of quality. The national examinations to obtain the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at the end of primary cycle and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of secondary cycle are designed to evaluate the extent to which the primary and secondary graduates master the curriculum content. In other words, the national test scores are used as the indicators of quality. The limitation of this indicator is that it does not take into account the context at which learning takes place i.e. the learning environment, learners unique characteristics etc. There are many definitions of quality but one of the descriptions of quality which emphasizes on the context was by Tikly (2011:10) who argued that: A good quality education is one that enables all learners to realise the capabilities they require to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies and enhance wellbeing. The learning outcomes that are required vary according to context but at the end of the basic education cycle must include threshold levels of literacy and numeracy and life skills including awareness and prevention of disease. In his description, Tikly believes that a good quality education arises from interactions between three overlapping environments, namely the policy, the school and the home/community environments. In his perception of quality education, Tikly puts context into consideration i.e. needs of the learner, cultural and political contexts. In addition, he emphasizes on the relevance of what is taught and learned and how it fits the nature of particular learners in question. This encourages policy makers to take cognisance of changing national development needs, the kinds of schools that different learners attend and the forms of educational disadvantage faced by different groups of learners when considering policy options'(ibid:11). The fact that CFS emphasizes on learner-centered pedagogy and puts the child at the centre or focal point in the learning process raises the idea of what is regarded as valuable knowledge and how this knowledge is acquired in this particular context. This leads us to the inquiry on the school of thought or paradigm behind introducing a contextualized CFS framework. CFS as an approach to education is premised on constructivism, a theory of knowledge arguing that humans generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between ideas and real experiences. According to constructivists, the notions of reality and truth are socially constructed and in different context with the understanding that knowledge is subjective and embedded in multiple realities. Thus, quality of learning should be viewed in the context in which it is occurs. Towards Quality Basic Education In Kenya: Developing Research Capacity and Evaluation Before we acknowledge the contribution of CFS in providing quality education to the children at Primary school level, it will be prudent to review some of other contributions that has been made by international organizations in collaborations with the local government in promoting quality of education at grassroot levels in building research capacity. Kenya has had a history of benefiting from international assistance in its education sector. One of the programmes is the Primary Schools Management (PRISM), an initiative of DfID through the Ministry of Education, which places a lot of emphasis on participatory approaches and emphasis on mobilising community support, resource management and utilisation, supporting learning of pupils and developing action plans. It targeted teacher training and management and the impact of this is overall effectiveness of an education system which has a direct bearing on quality of education. According to Otieno Colclough (2009:26), PRISM is regarded as one of donor-funded programmes which had most positive impact on quality of basic education and CFS can learn from it. As Crossley et al (2005) note, the main objective of PRISM was to improve the quality of primary education through the training and support of head teachers in practical management skills. Borrowing from the PRISM experience it is wo rthy learning that well planned and organized CFSs policies involving community participation at grass root level could help amplify local voices and lead to successful implementation of educational policies not only in Kenya but also other parts of African contexts. Challenges in implementing CFS in Kenya In this section I will explore common challenges associated with the CFSs with an aim of illuminating and critiquing the gap between policy and practice in CFSs. Access and Quality Dilemma: Which one should be first priority? As I mentioned earlier, one of the role of CFS in Kenya is to improve the quality of learning. But the access to education is still a challenge in Kenya and there is fear that Kenya will not have achieved EFA goals 1 and 2 by the year 2015. Many comparative researchers argue that different countries have different educational problems and it is the countrys obligation to identify what should be the priority and why. Aksoy (2008: 218) observes that: While developed countries are mainly engaged in activities to increase the quality of education, or they practice and seek new techniques and methods of learning and teaching, developing countries struggle to provide equal opportunities for education, trying to increase the rate of participation of all citizens in basic education, which is actually compulsory. To deal with its educational problems, each country works out countrywide or local solutions, depending on the nature of the problem. The tone of such statement is more closely allied to the question of priority. Priority in one country may not be a priority in another. In Kenya, the major problem basic education is facing is of access while higher education is facing the problem of quality. CFS focus more on quality, but in the Kenyan context, access to education is still a problem in basic education even after the introduction of FPE. The CFS concept of quality can however suit very well in some small state commonwealth countries which have almost universal access to basic education. It has been noted that small sates have now shifted education priorities towards focus in school effectiveness, quality and inclusion (Crossley, 2002) after ensuring that all children have accessed basic education and CFSs in Kenya should learn from small states that the priority should now be on access to basic education before shifting to quality. Atomizing the child: is child-centred the solution to quality CFS? A key feature of a right-based, CFS system is that it is linked tightly to the child-centred learning process. CFS advocates for child-centred learning where a child is treated as a single entity or an atom in learning processes. The idea of atomizing a child has its drawbacks derived from child-centred learning. First, there is an oversight on early year development behaviour of the child. Psychologists believe children undergo various levels of development and their learning behaviours are different at each level. For instant, Vygotskys (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) implies that a child cannot ordinary create ZPD by himself; he needs the more expert individual to bridge the gap between his current development level and his proximal level of development. Secondly, a child-friendly, democratic learning environment may not work successful in overcrowded classrooms and school with limited resources like it is the case in Kenya. Thirdly, child-centred learning weakens the role of the teacher. The idea that a child must be active in construction of knowledge is often understood to imply a diminishing role for the teacher in learning process who now becomes a coach or a facilitator. A call for paradigm renovation, from an exclusively child-centred learning to a combination of both child-centred learning and teacher-centred learning approach is important so that the weakness of one method is complemented by the other method. What Lessons can Kenya learn from other Countries in Implementing CFS? A Review on the Contribution of Comparative Research King (2007) emphasizes the need to explore the tension between the national and the international policy agendas in Kenya in order to make informed decisions when crafting educational policies. Clearly, this is a view that acknowledges the contribution of CIR researchers in bridging theories, policies and practices with both local and global minds (Crossley, 2000) in trying to identify betters grounds to critically reflect and determine appropriate course of action. Apparently, the term that is commonly used in Kenya and indeed many Africa countries in the initial processes of designing an educational policy is benchmarking. Essentially, this is usually a comparative study which is carried out locally and/or internationally in trying to compare different models of policy framework with the aim of critical adaption or adoption. Lessons are well learnt when a comparisons are made, and this underscores the strength and significance of comparative research. Moreover, since problems transcend national borders, it is prudent to seek possible solutions by learning from a similar experience in another country, and this explains why international research is important. Kenya can learn from other countries that are either progressing or failing to implement CFS policies because lessons can either identify opportunities or gaps, based on comparative analysis. In these respect therefore, I have identified two key elements of CIR which could help implementat ion of CFS. The first element is on identification of the gap between policy and practice. Documenting the emerging good practices and lessons learned within the regions is useful in informing evidence based programming and advocacy to enable us to achieve better results. For example, a Global Evaluation Report published by UNICEF in 2009 on comparative studies of how to six countries (Guyana, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand) with different experiences implementing CFS, demonstrated the following: CFSs in varying contexts successfully apply the three key principles of CFS models-inclusiveness, child-centredness and democratic participation. Schools operating in very different national contexts, with different levels of resources and serving populations with different needs have succeeded in being child-centred, promoting democratic participation, and being inclusive. Schools that had high levels of family and community participation and use of child-centred pedagogical approaches had stronger conditions for learning, that is, students felt safer, supported and engaged, and believed that the adults in the school supported the inclusion and success of each student. (UNESCO, 2009) Kenya can use this success report to assist in providing a broader perspective on the ways in which CFSs can contribute to quality in the countrys unique context. The caution should however be that any steps taken should have hindsight of the current context in the country to avoid uncritical transfer of practice which may end up opening a Pandoras box. Secondly, through CIR, studies of educational systems from countries that share similar problems or pitfalls can provide information for learning possible consequences. A recent comparative evaluation research conducted by UNESCO in Nigeria, Gunaya, Thailand and the Philippines on CFS pedagogy gave different findings. While teachers in Nigeria and Guyana mainly focused on meeting basic instructional material needs (textbooks, paper), many teachers in Thailand and the Philippines focused on having greater access to information and communication technology (UNESCO 2009). Kenya experiences the same challenge as Nigeria and Gunaya, and data from these countries can be used to learn how they coping with inadequate basic instructional material. The caution here should be, that common problems may prevail in different countries, but common model cannot be applied because every country has different culture/context (Crossley Watson, 2003: 39). This provides invaluable information of what to adopt, modify or avoid. Conclusion It is worthy reiterating Crossley'(2003) emphasis that context matters and different countries have different needs and priorities even if they are faced with the same challenges. The value of CIR is studying foreign systems of education in order to become better fitted to study and understand our own (Sadler 1900, reprinted 1964:310) and CIR can be used as a lense to focus on adaptable or adoptable practices. UNICEF repeatedly emphasises that CFS is a pathway to educational quality rather than a blueprint and that it is counterproductive to regard the CFS model as rigid, with a present number of defining characteristics or key components (2009c, Ch. 1, p. 9). Thus, the essay sought to present an overview in favour of the contribution of CIR by highlighting what CFS policies in the Kenyan context could learn from CIR. As such, the essay acknowledges the role of CIR in stimulating critical thinking and reflections about CFSs system by evaluating its success and failures, strengths and weaknesses. This critical reflection facilitates self evaluation in our own context and the basis for determining appropriate courses of action. The essay also hints that CIR helps us understand global agendas and how they shape educational development projects from organizations and development agencies.